


there's nothing left to burn now (except ourselves)

by 530_and_some_fandoms



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aang died in the Air Nomad Genocide, Air Nomad Genocide (Avatar), Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - The Fire Nation Won, Avatar Cycle, Earth Kingdom (Avatar), Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, It's Zuko, Ozai (Avatar) is an Asshole, Sorry Not Sorry, Sozin's Comet, Zuko (Avatar)-centric, Zuko is still banished, it's burned, there is no avatar, there's a little bit of fluff in here, to combat that fact that half the canon characters are dead/going to be dead
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-17 07:20:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28721247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/530_and_some_fandoms/pseuds/530_and_some_fandoms
Summary: The Avatar hasn't been seen in 100 years. Zuko gave up on his search a long time ago.Sozin's Comet approaches.OrThe Avatar Cycle is broken. The Earth Kingdom burns.
Relationships: Iroh & Zuko (Avatar), Zuko & Zuko's Crew (Avatar)
Kudos: 37





	there's nothing left to burn now (except ourselves)

Former-Prince Zuko spent the day of Sozin’s Comet like he did any other. 

He woke with the sun and meditated until breakfast. His inner flame burned slightly brighter and stronger than normal, though the comet wouldn't be seen until this afternoon. It felt slightly uncomfortable, burning almost painfully in his stomach with an urge to be left out, but as he continued to meditate, it toned down slightly. Zuko wondered what the comet would feel like at its height if this is what it felt like now. 

No matter that the Comet was today, a no doubt sacred date for every fire bender on board, the day on the Wani was dull as always. Breakfast, training (with flames that were slightly larger and hotter than normal), lunch, Pai Sho and tea with Uncle, dinner. The only reprieve from the schedule was when, in the late afternoon, the famed comet streaked over the horizon, turning the sky a deep and beautiful orange. Zuko’s inner fire spat and burned within him with its presence. He, along with all the other fire benders on board shot up bright pillars of fire, the burning fingers reaching up to touch the sky. 

Overhead, the new war balloons floated across the sky, headed in the direction for the Earth Kingdom. Zuko marveled at them from his spot on the deck, but quickly turned his attention back to the festivities taking place in front of him. 

They couldn’t do much as far as show and celebration on the small deck, but tables dragged up from somewhere were laden with festival food and the joy permeated the atmosphere the way it never had before in the long four years Zuko had been on this ship. For one of the first time since his banishment, Zuko allowed himself to relax and not think about his impossible mission. 

(He had realized that his father never wanted him to come back months ago, but that didn’t make it hurt any less.)

He pushed back the thought. Music played from somewhere on the deck, a clumsy but happy tune. This was a time of celebration, a time to honor Agni for giving the Fire Nation his gracious gift. Zuko should be happy, so he tried his hardest to be, if only for his Uncle, who looked happier than Zuko had seen him in a long time. 

The festivities continued long after Sozin’s Comet had disappeared beneath the horizon barely four hours after it appeared, stretching late into the night. Drinks flowed and Zuko ate the food that reminded him of his homeland and the festivals his mother used to sneak him out to when he was younger. Fire benders and nonbenders alike displayed their talents for the small crowd of barely twenty people. Zuko didn’t laugh, but he did smile.

Tomorrow, they would find out the atrocities his father committed against the Earth Kingdom; how he burned it to the ground, killing millions. The Fire Nation may have won the war, because the Water Tribe surrendered quickly after, but Zuko couldn’t quite get past the bloodlust the Fire Lord, sorry the Phoenix King, carried. The Fire Lord was Azula now. They might as well have sent him a letter with his execution date. The Fire Nation had committed genocide twice in a century, and were not opposed to killing more people, much less Zuko. 

(Zuko found it strangely ironic and morbid that the two opposite elements of Air and Earth had been wiped out first.)

Tomorrow, Uncle would hold vigil for all that had died, and Zuko, who had his eyes opened enough to admit that his father was  _ so so wrong _ to murder the innocent, would as well. He had seen the child skeletons in the Air Temples all those years ago. He had stared into the eyes of starving children and war-hardened veterans when he came into port at the Earth Kingdom. He had long understood this war wasn’t to spread the Fire Nation’s greatness but to conquer, and he was a coward for doing nothing. His bloodline had brought nothing but pain to the world and he had done  _ nothing _ to break the chain.

That was tomorrow though. Today, Zuko was allowed to be 17 and burn as brightly as the fire that flowed through his veins. Today, he would show off some of the new katas that he had learned and smile alongside his uncle. He would look into the sky at the comet that streaked across it and feel remarkably content in the world.

Today they would celebrate being Agni’s Blessed; tomorrow, they would mourn it. 

**Author's Note:**

> This was just a tiny blurb I came up. I like it well enough, but it made me very sad to write. 
> 
> If you have read my other Avatar work, Suki's part is next! It might be a little while, because I got infatuated with another AtLA idea (which may or may not appear on here in coming months) and this week is finals week. Very strange timing, but we started late or something. Still not sure why they couldn't just do it before winter break, but whatever. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed!!!


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